Digital Photo Studio in School telecentre in Bangladesh
Author: Nazrul Islam of Relief International, Bangladesh
Let me share a story about how a school based telecenter in a Bangladeshi village has recently turned to a digital photo studio. Relief International -School Online set up an Internet enabled telecenter in Chowra Girls High School in Chowra Village in Comilla district in early 2005 as part of the Global Connections and Exchange Project-Bangladesh.
As per its sustainability plan, RI SOL helped the school to plan for income generattion throuh providing basic ICT services. Interestingly, the school has recently set up a digital photo studio inside its telecenter at its own cost. Personally, I am very surprised seeing the level of motivation on part of this school administrator. The school is now providing photo service to its own and neighboring school students and the community who previously used to go to Comilla city ( 15 km from the Chowara village) for a good quality photo service. This is not a big event but I thought this might be very inspiring for those who plans to set up telecenter in schools.
I also would like to inform that this is one of the best telecenters among the 27 centers RI SOL has set up in Bangladesh. This school ILC also got awarded as the best telecenter award 2007 at the ICT and Education Conference in Dhaka in March 2007.
I wonder if any news media in Bangladesh could publicise this school based telecenter which has turned to a digital photo studio. I believe this telecenter has helped the school to embrace a dual role: access to education and access to ICT services for its students and community in a sustainable manner? I wonder if our journalist community having interest in ICT4D or ICT4Ed could make a feature story about this telecenter to inspire many other rural schools in the country.
The contact details of the schools are available at:http://www.connect-bangladesh.org/content/view/119/106/ Blog Source: http://community.telecentre.org/en-tc/node/36781
Photography: Md. Arafatul Islam
Category: ICT for Development
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It’s a nice initiative. Congratulation to the students who bring in these changes. I believe, this kinds of initiatives would be encouraged by the development activists and the lessons of to students should be disseminated among other students as well. I would request Mr. Nazrul Islam of Relief International, Bangladesh to send the story to CAMPE, Bangladesh (email: info@campebd.org) along with some photograph (soft copy, if possible) as they can advocate on the issue and disseminate the information among the stakeholders including, policy-maker, development practitioner, and neo-literates through “Shakkharata bulletin” or “Kishoree Kotha”.
It is my pleasure to express my views on this news. certainly its a new dimension of education. I think this initiatives can be replicated to other parts of the country.
Thanks voice of south for publishing such kinds of success stories.
this excellent case story should be covered by both the national level ICT& education journalists.
media nowadays r covering only news of corruption, political reformation,deaths,lanslides & terrorism.this is one of the many stories which can make the people think that there r also positive things which happen in bangladesh.
I appreciate all for commenting on the story about the Telecenter based Digital Photo Studio at the Chowra School in Comilla. I just would like to inform you that we are currently documenting the process of setting up a digital photo studio in school based telecenter and hope to transfer this knowledge to the other schools in our network in Bangladesh. Many schools in the network have already expressed their interest to repliacte the model in their schools which is quite incouraging.
I am sure each school in Bangladesh can host a technology center equiped with internet, computer, digital camera etc which may not only improve teaching and learning envrionment at the schools and connect Bangladeshi youth to the world but at the same time, these schools can play a role to respond to the technology and information needs of the community. In a developing country context, a school’s role in delevering education and at the same time, to respond to community needs will definitely be interesting to observe.
Thanks,
Inspiring stuff… it’s always nice to hear of some success stories… 🙂 Kudos
how can i learn digital photography ?